Words by Samantha Harman
Seagull squawking is the backing track of Brighton and Hove with 4am alarm calls accepted as the norm. Ask any of the disgruntled tourists who have fallen foul of a fly-by chip pilfer, while being wing slapped in the process and it’s evident our feathered friends don’t take any prisoners. Life certainly wouldn’t be the same without them! Read on to learn residents funny and heartwarming seagull stories.
Superstar Seagull: ‘I had Jonathan, my pet seagull who was a social media sensation in lockdown and people wanted prints and T-shirts with him on! He was more like a dog than seagull the way he followed me around everywhere’ – Charmaine, Brighton.
Surrogate Nanny: ‘I have Simon (and his wife) who I inherited when I moved to Saltdean in 2020. They bring their babies to meet me every year, and are the best company most of the time’ – Kas, Saltdean.
Sausage stealer: ‘I went for a picnic with my cousin and her little boy in Queen’s Park. We opened up the packet of sausages waiting for the BBQ to heat up. A seagull grabbed the end of one of the sausages, but they were on a string, so I watched it gulp down each of the eight sausages. There’s me thinking well I hope that made you sick! We ate salad’ – Kate, Brighton.
Bird swallower: ‘I remember going to work one day, and had the kiddies with me and a seagull was swallowing a live pigeon, it was half way down his neck! Positive outcome for the pigeon – I saved his life. Not so positive for Mr. Seagull he was whacked with my rucksack (flew off unharmed). Kids were in complete shock at the whole thing!’ – Lisa, Brighton.
You can’t sit here: ‘We have two regular ones that sit on the lights on our patio area at Dobbies restaurant up by the racecourse. They are buggers and will intimidate customers who are eating by just looking down at them. The other day I was serving and looked up from the till to find one of them had just casually walked in the restaurant and was looking around as though to see where it could sit.’ – Nickie, Brighton.
Snow White effect: We have a resident seagull called Gully who we let wander in from the garden, we thought she was a he until she brought us her baby. She gets on really well with the cats and the squirrels who all hang out together on our garden wall, peace reigns!’ – Lynnie, Hove.
Pebble dash: ‘My dog scared a seagull away from its prized croissant and I in turn pulled him away to stop him eating it. The seagull in question flew into the air and s*at all over me by way of payback!’ – Sam, Brighton.
